


The curse of the Sleeping Beauty

by Chocoflower



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha Hatake Kakashi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, BAMF Umino Iruka, M/M, Magic, Omega Umino Iruka, Sleeping Beauty Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-06-19 14:10:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15511584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocoflower/pseuds/Chocoflower
Summary: Every man who claims the painting of the Princess goes insane. First they start seeing him, then they hear his voice. They all went up crazy. Some of those poor souls tried to find the princess, just a few returned. Each more insane as before. One of them looked himself with the painting in a basement and forbade anyone to enter the room, so he died of thirst looking at the unmoving face of the beautiful princess. Another one tried to burn the painting, but the flames only touched the frame. He killed himself a few hours later. The only living persons who are immune against this curse are the family of the painter.





	1. 1. Are you even trying, Kakashi?

#  Are you even trying, Kakashi?

#### Hi.

##### A short explanation: My first language is German. And I got no one to check it. So if you find errors in my writing I would be very happy if you could pin point it out to me.  
This Idea came to me, when I was studying for my finals... Or more when I was trying to study for my finals.  


#####  I hope you will enjoy it! :D 

Prince Kakashi of the house Hatake looked bored at the painting in front of him. The girl was pretty, no doubt. But he could see the obidience and predictability of her actions in her eyes and the way she hold herself. He turned around and shook his head in denial. Just like the other times before.  
"Your Highness, this is the tenth princess he rejected, without even meeting them. I hate to say this, but I am at the end of my wit." The first advisor wrung his hands and looked frustated at the prince. Who was very happy about the scarf he wore, because otherwise everyone in the throneroom would have seen his tongue he had sticked out. He would pick the princess he wanted, not the court. Sadly none of them could meet his demands. But that was not his fault. Well, maybe a little.  
"Kakashi, you're turning nineteen this month. You have to chose your wife." King Sakumo looked despratly at his only son.  
Kakashi turned to his father. "But none of those are what I am looking for. And, if you haven't forgotten, you promised that I will-"  
"Will only marry the person you chose to. Yes, Yes. I know. A Hatake stands to his word at all times, so I will keep my promise to you. But you have to chose! I am not getting younger and before you know it, you will sit on this throne. The country will need a queen!"  
"Please, Father. You still got plenty of years before you die." Kakashi wagged his hands. "If I may be excused now, I promised Tenzou to ride with him in the woods before supper." He just had to inform Tenzou of that promise. Hopefully his friend wouldn't complain about it too much. Before he got an reply, he left the throneroom and the painting.  
"I fear that you will not see the fiancée in this lifetime, Your Highness." muttered the advisor.  
The King sighed and sunk into the throne. His eyes wanderd to the painting. "I don't get it. What is wrong with her?"  
"He will probably tell you this evening."  
"We both know that what he tells us are not the real reasons. The problem is, he doesn't want to tell me what he is looking for. Tell me, Dai, do you have an idea?" Sakumos head turned to his best friend and captain of the guard. "Maybe Gai said something?"  
"No, Your Grace. My Son keeps the Princes secrets hidden in himself. But, I bet, he is looking for someone who can keep up with him in his passion." bellowed Dai.  
Everyone in the Throneroom knew that Gai was incapable of keeping a secret. Aspecialy if said secret is about his self announced esteemed rival and be something that shows how great Kakashi is.

"We are what?" Tenzou stared scandalized at Kakashi, as if he just had declared to jump of the highest tower.  
"Riding in the woods, now. I don't see what you are not getting..."  
"Ok. But, let me ask a few things first."  
"If you have to." Kakashi buried his hands in the pockets of his pants and leaned against the bookcase.  
"Yes. And you will answer them."  
Dang it. Tenzou knew him to good. Maybe Kakashi should have picked Gai instead... But he just didn't fell like a "Youthfull And Joyfull Racing with his esteemed rival!". Maybe he should get more friends than two. But that would mean he had to cut of some of his reading time- No! Two had to do.  
"Fine. Fire away."  
"Why?" Tenzou looked at Kakashi expectant.  
"Because I may or may have not said that I promised it to you, infront of my father to get out of the room."  
"Another Painting mishap?"  
"You could say that."  
"Alright. Let's go." Tenzou got up from his chair. Which surprised Kakashi.  
"Already?"  
"Don't you want to anymore?" said Tenzou raising an eyebrow. A Talent Kakashi greatly envied. No matter how many times he tried, he never managed to lift only one! It drove him crazy.  
"No. I still want to. But I prepared this whole speech and-"  
"We both know you are to lazy to do such a thing. You could. But you never would."  
"Hey, that rhymed!" grinned Kakashi.  
"What did I do to deserve this...?" grumbeld Tenzou as they made their way out of the study to the stables.

The birds chirped and the wind rusteld the leafs. Kakashi deliberately didn't look to the right, because as soon as he would Tenzou would start the conversation about the so called mishap of the paintings. Again.  
"So, what was it this time?" asked Tenzou.  
Kakashi cursed in his mind. Of course it wouldn't stop Tenzou. Nothing could stop his secret advisor to scold him.  
"If you had seen the painting you would know." mumbled Kakashi and petted Raikiri, his blazing silver-blue horse. No one knew how or why it had that color. And frankly, Kakashi didn't care.  
"But I haven't. So spill." shot Tenzou back.  
"In short she was just like the last one. Pretty on the eyes, but obviously not what I want or need." Kakashi looked at Tenzou. Well, it wasn't so bad as he had feared. It was the normal face of Tenzou that he faced, and not the nightmare version.  
"So did you figure out what kind of fiancée you want?" Again that one eyebrow was pulled up.  
"No. But I will know when-"  
"-When you see it. Yeah, Yeah." Tenzou rolled his eyes. "Do you even want a fiancée, Kakashi?"  
Kakashi stopped Raikiri and looked incomprehensible at Tenzou. "Huh?"  
"Well. Maybe you don't like them because you don't want to like them."  
"Are you saying, that in a few years I could want an omega like Duchess Fuka?"  
"Now you'r being ridicolous. No. What I am trying to ask is Are you even trying to find a fitting omega?"  
Kakashi looked down at his saddle. That was indeed a good question. And one of the few he couldn't answer. "I don't know." he replied soft.  
"Oh. Well, - Ahem. So what will you tell your father this time? The nose was slightly of? Or she seemed like a liar?" Kakashi knew his friend tried to cheer him up, so he threw one of his famous eye-smiles at him.  
"Nah. She looked like one of those 'Yes, Prince Kakashi. As you wish, Prince Kakashi. I think so too, Prince Kakashi.'" He made his voice sound purposefully ridicolous high.  
Tenzou laughed and Kakashi joined shortly in.  
"Hopefully, he will buy it." Tenzou spurred his black horse on.  
"Nah. He knows that I'm not telling him everything. He is my father after all. But he wont say anything, I hope."


	2. 2. You believe in something like that?! Come on!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter! Hooray!  
> So in this one Kakashi frustrates everyone... But it wont be the last time. So buckle up.  
> And Tenzou has the urge to facepalm... But he can't. So he has to do that later.  
> Thanks for the comments. I am so happy you guys like it!

When Kakashi and Tenzou entered the dinning room an interesting scene greeted them.  
One old man stood next to a woman, cradling a baby in her arms standing right behind a young man (or Child in Kakashi's eyes), who stood between Dai and Gai. Something, Kakashi knew out of experience, was not enjoyable.  
As soon as Kakashi spooted the frame he stood stock still. Another Painting. Even if it was small. O Dear Good Lord! When would they have mercy on him? Luckily he didn't see which Omega Princess or Lady was pictured. Yet...  
Tenzou, who stooped walking just a few steps ahead of him, turned around and looked at him as if he wanted to say 'Oh, Come on. It's just linen and oil paint. You can't be serious.'  
"As ya can see, Your Highness, the quality is jus' like I said. Are ya satisfied with it?" The young man / Child for Kakashi twisted his cap in his hands and looked at King Sakumo.  
"Yes. And your skill of the brush is astonishing. It runs in the familiy, yes?" Kakashi only saw his father as he stepped away from the painting and closer to the claimed artist.  
"Yes, Your Highness." Came the shortbreathed answer.  
"Then why are you not longer with King Ebizou? You come, ask for protection and to be court artist. If you expect me to protect you and your family, you have to tell me from whom and why." Sakumo looked at the mob of hair from the down casted head of the boy.  
"King Ebizou blamed ma father for the vanishing of his son and therefor killed him. I am afraid that he wont stop 'till our whole family is dead."  
"Do you know why King Ebizou blamed your father?" Every Face turned to Kakashi, who just looked back as he didn't just scarred each one of them (except Tenzou, who just closed his eyes in resignation). Their fault for not noticing him earlier.  
The boy squirmed and he squinted to his family. Kakashi turned automaticlly to them. "Or maybe you two know it?"  
"Prince Kakashi, this is not the time nor your place to-" one of the advisors started to rant.  
"Hold it." came it calmly from the King. "That is indeed a good question. If you know the answer, speak. Now."  
"I - Well, - It's complicated." The Boy pleaded.  
"Tell me." Kakashi walked closer. So close that he walked around the painting, so that he could see it.  
It was a breathtaking Scenery. It was a view on the mountains during a sunset. The colors were so lively, Kakashi almost could feel the warmth of it. But the most captivating detail was the lake with the castle. No. Not a castle. A Ruin covered in... Kakashi squinted his eyes to take a better look.  
"Roses." gave him Tenzou the answer. "It's covered in roses. Very impressive, indeed."  
"Thank you." The Boys Face lit up.  
"Back to topic." Kakashi kept his tone light. "Tell us the reason."  
The Boy looked bakc at his family. This time Kakashi could see on which member specifically. The woman, obviously his mother.  
"It was the painting." The boy looked Kakashi directly in the eyes.  
"This painting?" Kakashi was confused.  
"No. The other one. The cursed one."  
Kakashi starred at the boy. A cursed Painting. Yeah, Sure. And Father Christmas is real.  
"Well, were is it? And what exactly is this curse? I'm intrigued." He looked around the room as if the family hide it behinde one of the pillars.  
"He has it." The boy pointed at his grandfather. "And the curse is pretty simple. Everyone who claims it, goes insane shortly after."  
"Well, show me." Kakashi grinned behind his scarf.  
"No" Of course his father had to ruin it...  
"Puhlease, Father. You can hardly believe in something like that." snorted Kakashi.  
"My Prince, it's true." The soft voice of the widow rang through the room. "I beg you. Only our family is immune against the curse, because our ancestor painted it. Don't make the same mistake as so many before you."  
"It is just linen with some paint on it." explained Kakashi and at the same time he heard Tenzou's snort. "Shut up." hissed Kakashi.  
"Do you think the Picture behind you is just linen and Paint? The cursed painting holds even more. Our ancestor discribed it as his best work, but also as the most cruelest thing in the world." The woman implored Kakashi.  
"Now I just want to see it more, if it is even better than this one. I am a lover of good art, good woman. If that so called cursed painting is even better than that of your son... Well, then it must be a sight to behold."  
"Let him see it. As long as he doesn't claim it, he will be fine." sighed the boy.  
"Promise." demanded she.  
"Nope." came the reply from Kakashi. "I am not giving promises that I won't keep. Show this cursed masterpiece to me."  
"Will you let us stay?" asked the boy careful.  
"With your talent, boy, I will keep you." declared Kakashi. "To find someone so good is rare and hard. I wont let you go. Ever."  
"Good." The boy walked over to the old man. "Grandpa? Can ya give me the princess?"  
The old man started to move. Till then he just had starred into the void. He slid his hand under his wrap and pulled a cylinder out. The boy took it from him, opened it and unrolled the Painting.  
"Woah!" What Kakashi saw was not only breathtaking, it was down right godly. The painting of the boy looked shallow compared to it. Certainly the Masterpiece of the masterpieces.  
Not much was displayed. Actually it was just a male princess, sitting - almost laing - comfortably on a coach with an open book leaning against his knees. Brown hair tied together to a high ponytail, sun-kissed skin (something very rare seen in the aristocracy) and a scar over his nose. The dress was a forest green and surprisingly plain, what just made him look more beautifuler in Kakashi's eyes. The princess looked at him as if he just called his name. The smile was warm. But the eyes. Oh, God. The eyes. A warm Brown, too, but they spoke of mischief.  
"-shi! KAKASHI!" Kakashi jumed almost out of his skin.  
"Dear good Lord, Gai. How often do I have to tell you to not yell directly in my ear. I don't want to become deaf, yet." Then he felt the slight sting on his check. "Who punched me?" And Kakashi did not whined. Prince Kakashi does not do whining about a little smack.  
"You were out cold, Kakashi. You didn't react to anyone of us. So Gai slapped you and you didn't even flinched. So he started shouting." explained Tenzou. "It was very scary. Don't do that again. Ever! Or I will haunt you for the rest of your life." And there was the Scary Face from Tenzou. Kakashi shuddered.  
"Sorry. I just was amazed by this masterpiece. The artist must have been a very talented man." Kakashi scrachted his neck guilty.  
The widow gave him a judgemental look. "You want it." She stated.  
"Yeah. But can you blame me? It is breathtaking."  
"I beg of you, to let it go. If you do claim it, you will lose your mind!" she took a step forward and clenched her hands.  
"Or you could just not give it to him. That is also a option." Tenzou intervened.  
"The picture will just appear by him, until he dies or someone else is captured." mumbeld the boy. "He has to give it up himself and freely."  
"As far as I know my son there is nothing that can change his mind now. But let's try it anyways. Tenzou, any ideas?" King Sakumo had resigned. His son and he were to alike, both to stubborn at the worst times.  
"I am sorry, your Highness. I can't stop him. Gai?" Tenzou looked hopeful at the other friend of Kakashi.  
"Oh no. Kakashi's firely will and heart can't be stoped. But I will proclaim a challenge! He has to stay in his right mind or walk around the castle on his hands ten times!" And there came the encouraging thumb pose from Gai. "I believe in you, my rival!"  
"Thank you, Gai. But I would like to change the challenge a little bit. If I loose my mind - and just to make sure we are on the same page, I wont, because curses don't exist! - Tenzou is allowed to say that he told you so and Gai will get my dogs. But - alas - I will keep my mind, neither of them is allowed to!" Kakashi grinned.  
Everyone knew how much he loved his dogs and how much he hated it, when Tenzou said 'Told you so'. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of leaving his dogs to Gai and apologized to them in case it did go wrong. But it wouldn't, because there was no way that curses existet. So he and his dogs were completly safe.


	3. Here we go again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not very long, I know. Very short, actually.  
> But you get a little look at Iruka.  
> Next Chapter will have some drama, I promise!

Iruka sighed long and heavy. And loud.  
Not that it mattered, really. Noone could hear him. Well, for now. The new one would start soon enough with it.  
One part of Iruka wondered what kind of person it would be. He knew of course what was to come. Obsession and Madness.  
Iruka looked around. The painting of the princess in the green dress was leaning at the wall right of the door. Then came what seemed to be the fitting room. Across from the painting was a bed, left from it was pure chaos of books on books, next to books. Irukas finger started to itch, the urge to tidy the room up was incredible. Especially since there was a bookshelf looming over the disorgnaized books. A long bookshelf. With books in it. And holes, where the books on the ground probably belonged.  
Iruka closed his eyes. He and who ever lived here are not going to like each other very much.  
He turned and his mouth fell open. Naturally Iruka was used to see views of different lokations and the showing off of the local royals. But this...  
He walked over to the balcony. Only noticing in the corner of his eye the Desk, that was so full that you couldn't even see the wood it was made of. Sadly the door that led on the Balcony was closed. And probably looked. Even so the glass contorted a lot could Iruka see the beauty of the view.  
Mountains far away, a deep green forest that screemed to be discovered and of course the typicall wall that surrounded the garden of the castle he was in. But even that garden was beautiful. Some Labyrinth, a lake with a fountain and flowers in different colors. But he couldn't say which one and if they were in full bloom or not, because of the glass.  
Iruka turned around again and took a closer look at the books. He knew some of them. One of the many downsides of this curse was that he was like a ghost. He couldn't touch anything. Well, he had touched one thing while under his curse. But that was a long time ago and he wasn't even sure if he hadn't imagined it.  
Well, time to wait for the new one to come. That shouldn't take that long.


	4. Oh! Ha. Ha. Very funny, guys.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it took me so long. But here you go, next chapter.  
> In this one Kakashi and Iruka met. Sorta.

Kakashi shuffled to his room.  
Dinner had been a complet disaster. Of course the Green Princess had been the topic. Because it was the one princess Kakashi hadn't dismissed with the first look, but had taken the picture under a second. Which why he had to be questioned about why.  
Why did he liked the painting so much? Why not one of the others, who actually existed? Why did he made that bet? Why put the painting in his bedroom? Why not in the galery of the royal family? Why. Why? Why?!  
Problem was, Kakashi had no answers to all these Questions. What was driving him crazy and tired him out over the time of dinner.  
So when he opened the door and went into his bedroom, he just fell into his bed and was asleep before he hit the covers.

Iruka looked a little offended at the alpha man in the bed. That was not the reaction he had expected. Normaly the people started screaming or - Well, they normaly screamed.  
But this guy just went by and fell into his bed. Asleep. Seemed like he had a very busy day behind him. Iruka could unterstand that. He had these days once, too. But still... That guy hadn't even bothered with taking off his shoes! No, they wouldn't go well together at all. Not with the temperament Iruka normaly had. For now Iruka would wait again. He got very good at that. He looked at the mountains in the distance.  
Waiting. It seemed it was the only thing Iruka could do. Everything else was out of reach for ever. Cursed to only see life, but not take place in it.  
Waiting. He didn't even remeber what exactly he was waiting for. For death? No. Only living things could die. And he was not alive. 'But not dead either' whispered a small voice inside him. So maybe he just waited. For something. Anything. Nothing?  
For now he would wait for this already anoying man to wake up.  
And that took a lot longer than he thought.

Kakashi huffed. To fall a sleep without changing clothes or getting really into the bed had not been a good idea. He moved a little bit. Great, now he even had a tenseness in his shoulders. Seems like a job for Tenzou in the morning to get that out.  
But for now he should maybe change. So he moved up, turned around and shuffeld to his wardrobe. There he started to take of his clothes.  
But then: "Ahem."   
Kakashi was awake in an instance. "Yes?" he asked carefully to the unknown speaker.  
"Not that I want to disturb your sleep pattern or the whole changing situation, but I would apreciate at least to know your name."  
"You are in my room. Schouldn't you know?"  
"Ha. Yeah. You would think that I would. But I don't."  
A Silence filled the room. One of those silences you weren't sure what they meen, but you are pretty sure that it shouldn't be there. And sound so, well, silent. Kakashi felt personaly attacked by it.  
"Could you put your shirt back on? Please?"  
"Ok. But just that I get this right. There is a stranger in my room, who doesn't know where he is or who I am?" Kakashi opend his wardrobe and grapped randomly one of the shirts. He pulled it over his head as fast as he could. He didn't want to be to long half-nacked with a very weird stranger in his room.  
"Yes."  
Kakashi turned and saw nothing. Absolutly Nothing. Noone.  
Well, he did saw something. He saw his room. As it should be. Empty. With No stranger standing there lost and confused.  
"What in the hell is going on?" he asked annoyed.  
"A very good question. Can you not see me?" the person sounded slighty surprised. Which was normal. Since if they would be really there, Kakashi should be able to see him. Or her.  
"Oooooooh. I get it." Kakashi chuckeld. "Very funny, guys."  
"What?" the voice sounded confused. More so than before.  
"You two can come out now. Tenzou, Gai. I must admit, you have to tell me how you are doing this."  
"Who are Tenzou and- No. Nevermind. Back to the important part" He heard the other one take in a deep breath. "Listen. I am not one of your friends."  
"Sure you aren't." Kakashi crossed his arms. They realy were good. The voice didn't sound like Gai or Tenzou. At all. They probably got one of the servants to do the voice. A very nice touch. He forgot that his friends weren't as dumb as most people thought they were.  
"I am not. I will prove it."  
"How so?" Kakashi grinned.  
"Well for starters I don't sound like one of your friends. Or at least I hope that. Because if I do this will be even more harder for you."  
"Ah. That is because you are one of the servants helping them."  
"You are a very logical person, aren't you?"  
"I would hope so. I mean they do call me a genius."  
"And not a humble one, I see. Or clean one." The last part was more whispered. "Great. Next point why I am not a servant helping your friends." The voice became silent.  
"You have nothing else, right? Because I am right." Kakashi now grinned even more than before. This was fun. He loved being right.  
"Shut up." snapped the other one.  
This time the silent was not tense or wrong. Just thoughtful. And Kakashi didn't interrupt it, because he actually apreciated that the stranger had not given up yet.  
"If I were a servant hiding somewhere then I shouldn't be able to change location, right?" They sounded so helpful. Oh, how his counterargument will crush the poor person.  
"Not necessarily. If you are hinding in the walls and using the passageways there, that would be a very easy thing to do."  
HA! He found out how they were doing it. Nothing came past him, Kakashi.  
He heard the clacking of shoes on stone. If they really were behing the wall, he shouldn't be abel to hear that. Or the voice... No. He would be able to hear it, when the door to the passageway is open. Which it had to be. Because he heard it. Even so the steps came closer. To close to be behind the wall....  
"And what about this?" whispered the voice right in his ear.


	5. Sure, blame the cook, Kakashi.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Already 89 Kudos... Thanks guys :D
> 
> Just so you know. I apreciate every comment. Even it is just a "very funny" or so. :)  
> BUT 89 Kudos. :O I am proud of myself.  
> I hope you are having as much fun reading this, as I had writing.

Iruka began to feel how his patience ran out. That guy was supposed to be a genius?  
But well. He had said that he would prove it to him. But that was hard when you couldn't anything. And were invisible for the majority of people. So he came to the closest solution. And the one that would entertain him the most. Whispering right into the ear of that arrogant fool of a genius.  
The outcome was glorious!  
The guy jumped at least two feet into the air and screamed.  
Iruka started to laugh so hard that he had to sit down on the ground, because he couldn't hold himself upright anymore.  
"You should have seen your face! Oh my God!" he gasped.  
The greyhaired Man just scoweld at the point where he guessed Iruka was. Which was not completly off. But still that it was uncomfortable. Noone wanted to be looked at, without being looked at. Try to explain that to someone who hadn't expirienced that already.  
Then the door bursted open and a man in a green nightgown came in. And he looked ready to fight anyone and anything with his bare hands. A character Iruka respected instantly, not everyone could look intimidating in a green nightgown. But he still couldn't stop giggeling. And in that situtation he was actually very happy to be invisible. Because a princess shouldn't be kneeling on the floor, because they almost died of laughter.  
"Face me, crude Criminal!" yelled the newcomer.  
"Gai! What the hell?!" yelled the roomowner back.  
"I heard you scream, Kakashi. So naturally I thought that there was an attack." Gai looked around. "But there is noone here." A short pause came. "Why did you yell, estemed rival?"  
Iruka looked at Kakashi. A very weird name, but very fitting. He did look like a scarecrow. But who was he to judge? His parents named him "Dolphin".  
"Huh? Oh. Well. Ahm." Kakashis eyes skitted around the room. "I- The door of the wardrobe closed over my finger. So that hurt. So I screamed. I am sorry for waking you for something unimportant like that."  
Iruka scoffed at that obvious lie. Even Naruto had lied better than that. And that boy had no talent what so ever for bluffing. "You know that he will never buy that, right?" he pointed out.  
"Ah. No. Kakashi, if my estemed rival is hurt that is not an untrivial matter. The opposite in fact! It is of the most importance! You should go to-"  
"Thank you, Gai. But really it is nothing big. I will be fine after a good sleep." Kakashi interupted him.  
"Oh." Gai sank a bit together "if you say so."  
"He actualy believes you?!" Iruka looked scandalized between the two.  
"Yes, I am sure. So if you could..." Kakashi hand directed Gai very quick out of the room. "Thank you, Gai. Have a nice night. Till tomorrow" and shut the door a little bit to quick, to let it look like he didn't had to hide something.  
Iruka stood up and brushed off his dress, just out of habit. Because since he couldn't touch anything, nothing could ever stick to him, like dust or dirt. So that was a positive point of it. Sadly also the only one...  
"He can't hear you?" asked Kakasi.  
"Noone can, but you." Iruka answered.  
"aha." Kakashi mumbled. "let me guess you are the curse of the painting?"  
"Good guess. But not completly true. What do you know about that? Because I don't want to tell you something you already know."  
"Well, everyone who claims it goes insane." came the answer.  
"Thats it?" Iruka looked at him sceptical.  
"And I have to give it up freely, to be free of it?" Kakashi went to his bed and sat down.  
"Well, that is the theory. But noone ever did that. So I don't know if it is true." Iruka crossed his arms.  
"Well. Then I will try that and then I wont hear an imaginary voice anymore. Problem solved." The lanky man looked smug and lied down.  
"Really? You think it will be that easy?" Iruka scoweld again.  
"Sure." came the flopy reply.  
"Then do it. Now!"  
"I hardly can call for the servants now to take it away. It is in the middle of the night. Now, that would be just impolite."  
"As if you care for that. And You don't need them. Just let me go. And the painting will vanish from here. And go back to the family of the artist."  
"Mh. Fascinating. How ever is that possible?"  
"Magic."  
"Suuuuuuuure. Magic only exist in the bedtime stories for children. And as you may have noticed, I am not one." Kakashi sat up again. "Ok. Could you at least show yourself? because I have no Idea where you are. So it is getting hard to look at you, since I can't see you."  
"No. And that you can't see me is actually a good sign. It means you the curse hasn't taken hold of you yet. At least not very bad. That will change of course, if you don't give me up. And Magic does exist. How else do you explain this?"  
"Too much talk about a cursed painting, which I still find ridicolous by the way. Maybe I ate something bad. And defintly a tired mind. So good night, Voice!" He felled back into the bed and pulled the covers over himself.  
Iruka squinted his eyes. "Why are you so determined to not believe in the curse?"  
"Because I made a bet to not go crazy."  
"Well, you lost." stated Iruka.  
"No. Because I can't lose that bet. I would have to give up too much. Like my dogs. So, yeah. I am not going crazy. Just tired. Now shush."  
Iruka sighed. And that guy was supposed to be a genius?  
"I said Shush!" came from the bed.  
Iruka knew already that the next day, would not be easy. So he sat down again and waited for the morning and started to plan the discussion with Kakashi in his head. Because they would defintly have it. Iruka would make sure of it.


	6. Time for some sad backstory... Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... As the name of this chapter already says it will get sad.  
> After I wrote this Itold my best friend that I am a bad, bad person. Because I made him so sad...  
> Thank you for all the comments, I enjoy them greatly. So tell me what you think.  
> And 101 Kudos? Wow. Thank you so much! :D

The door opened. So Iruka looked to it instantly. But didn't stand up.  
Kakashi stood in his room and squinted at everything as if every furniture had insulted him personly.  
"Voice?" he asked suspiciously, after he closed the door.  
Iruka thougt about not answering, but he and Kakashi already talk after he woked up that morning. So no use dening it anymore. And it wouldn't change the future.  
"Are you ready to admit that you lost?" he asked instead.  
"No. Not yet. But I do have some questions. The first one is: where are you right now?" Kakashi's eyes hushed throw the room in search for him  
"I am sitting in front of your window. I like the view of the mountains." Iruka looked longinly outside again. How much he wished he could feel the air and sunshine on his skin again.  
"Ok. So next one. If I remember correctly you wanted to explain this whole curse-magic thing to me." Kakashi pulled his chair from the worktable and put it so that it faced in the general direction where Iruka sat. Than he placed himself on it.  
"Well. How much time do you have?" Iruka looked up to him. Depending on his answer he would chose how much he would and could tell him.  
"Half an hour." came the reply. "After that I have to go back to study with Tenzou."  
Kakashi lied to the Voice. He knew more than Tenzou. But he knew from the morning that talking to a voice, without a body, made him very queasy. And he had noticed that the voice couldn't leave his room. So he was safe outside his room.  
"Good. First of all, my name is not Voice. I am Iruka, Princess of the Konoha-Kingdom. And well, I got cursed from a wizard when I refused to marry him." He made a pause for Kakashi to react.  
"But the Konoha-Kingdom fall several decades ago." Kakashi said. "How is it that you claim to be the princess of a kingdom that does not exist anymore?"  
"Haven't you listend? I got cursed from a wizard. So obviusly magic." Iruka stated.  
"Again the magic stuff?" Kakashi pouted "Fine. Explain more."  
"I am trying." Iruka hissed at him. "AS I was saying, I got cursed from a wizard, because I didn't want to marry him."  
"So far so obvious." interrupted Kakashi.  
Iruka scowled at him, even so that Kakashi couldn't see it. "Well, the curse said that I would fall asleep together with the whole castle, for all eternity."  
"That is a heck of a long time" Kakashi mused.  
"That thought had a young forestspirit, too. And since he liked me very much, he made the execption that I could be woken up."  
"But?" There was always a but, Kakashi thought.  
Iruka smiled sadly "He meant well. But he was young and a little bit foulish. And there are of course rules, even he had to obey. So not everyone would be able to break the curse."  
"Well? Who were the selected few who fucked up?" Kakashi asked.  
Iruka laughed a little bit. "The rule has to be universally. So technically anyone could be the one to wake me. But they have to love me. And I have to love them. But I never loved anyone. And noone had fallen in love with me. So I slept for some years."  
"And how is it that you are here now? Whithout a body, mind you. But awake, I would dare to call it that."  
"That is because another wizard came by. And since the young forestspirit begged him to help, he did what he could." Iruka looked to the mountains far away. "I wished he didn't. For it brought doom over to many."  
Silence filled the room.  
Kakashi waited for Iruka to tell him what the other wizard had done. But Iruka staied quiet. So quiet that Kakashi started to wonder if he was still there. Then he heard the sob. And cringed.  
He already had problems when people cried who had a body, because he always reacted wrong. But how were you to react when a person, without a phisical form, cried in your room?! Was there even an appropriate reaction? He as hell didn't know. So he waited, since no other reaction came to mind.  
The sobing quiet down until it was only a sniffing. "I am sorry. It is just -" Iruka sniffed again "You are the first who actualy listens to me."  
"Well, I am the only one who can hear you." Kakashi stated and felt awful for running out that morning.  
Iruka laughed shortly. "But your not the first."  
Kakashi frowned. "You mean the ones who went insane?"  
"Yes. The wizard casted a spell. A spell that was supposed to help me. For love to find me, I had to be able to meet new persons and to fall in love with them. And they had to be able to fall in love with me. That is were the painting comes in. He needed something to, I guess, to bind me to. And it was the most realistic painting of me in the castle."  
"Realisitc?! It is the first painting I thought deserved to be called a masterpiece!" Kakashi sounded a little offended by Irukas statement of the quality of the painting. Iruka felt a cold dread setling in his stomach.  
"Well, I am sure the master who painted it, would have loved that compliment. He was very proud of it. And so happy when he heard that it would help me to break the curse. At first I was happy too, to be awake. But that oppinion changed very quickly." Iruka hugged his knees and starred into the void.  
Kakashi mused about what he had heard so far. "So, your body sleeps in the castle of Konoha-Kingdom. But your soul is bonded to your painting. So you can fall in love withsomeone?"  
"Yes."  
"Then why does noone sees or hears you?"  
"That is one of the rules of the painting. Only the one who claims it, can see and hear me. But I can see and hear anything and everyone. The world is separated from me. But I am not separated from it." Iruka looked again longinly outside.   
"So each of those who went crazy, weren't crazy. Just everyone thought they were?"  
"Oh no. They were deffintly crazy." Iruka stated bluntly. "Not at the beginning, mind you. But they all couldn't handle it. So they broke."  
Kakashi frowned again. "I don't like the sound of that. So I am going to become crazy as well?" He really didn't like the sound of that. He thought about the promise, or bet, to Gai and Tenzou. With Tenzou saying 'I told you so' he could handle that. But giving Gai his dogs?! He shudderd.  
"I don't know." came the almost soundless reply.  
"What do you mean?" Kakashi was confused. Didn't Iruka just stated that everyone went crazy over the time? And yesterday he had said that Kakashi lost his bet of not going crazy...   
"As I said. You are the first one to actualy listen to me." Iruka looked at Kakashi's confused face.  
"Yes. And I still don't understand that fact." he stated.  
"Each before you- Well, they didn't hear me. Not at the beginning. They always saw me first. And when they finaly heard me, they already were insane. So they didn't listend to me, like you did. They heard my voice, but not my words."  
"I am the first one to hear your voice and not see you?" Kakashi sat up straight. Everyone else had seen the princess first? Like on the painting? He felt left out.  
"Yes." Iruka stood up. "And let's hope you will never see me."  
"Why that? I doubt that you are ugly. The Painting is evidence to the opposite, frankly speaking."  
"Because it would mean that you wont go over the first stage of the curse. Which is good. Because it would mean that you are still sane." spat Iruka "Or, Of course, you could just give the painting up. But I guess that is outside of the question, because of your stupid bet?!" Iruka stood up. He was getting angry at Kakashi and his stupid logical talking. His stupid bet. His stupid face! His stupid room, that he couldn't leave!  
"Ah. Now. No need to become hostile, Iruka. I just think of it as a genius masterpiece of art. There is no obsession from me over it." Kakashi tried to calm the soul down.  
"Oh, really?! What if I told you someone tried to burn it?" Iruka's hands balled themselfs into fists.  
"What?" came the quite reply, almost soundless.  
"He couldn't handle it to have me. But not to have me. And then his son tried to lay claim to it. So he rather wanted the painting gone, than in the hands of someone else. Do you now understand? You have to give it up!" Iruka took a step forward.  
"He could have killed you." Kakashi whispered. "Didn't he thought of that?"  
"I said, he rather wanted it gone than in the hands of someone else."  
"The Painting and you are bonded, Iruka!" Kakashi stod up so abruptly that the chair fell over. "You are one! If something happens to it, you will be hurt. He wanted you rather dead than alive!" He raised his voice in the end.  
"SO? He could have ended this useless cycle of madness! I would have been grateful!" Iruka feeled the tears running over his face.  
Kakashi went ice cold.  
"Don't ever say that. Don't ever say that again." he whispered. "Don't ever say that, Iruka."  
Iruka stood in front of Kakashi. And wished Kakashi could see him. For then he would maybe understand.  
But Kakashi didn't. He didn't see him and he didn't understand. And then Kakashi turned at left the room.  
The door closed loudly behind him.  
"You don't know how it is. To see person after person sucumbing to you. Without being able to do anything. To stop it. To know where it will end, over and over again."Iruka spocked into the empty room. "To know that you are responsible for it. But can't stop it. I-" Iruka now cried openly "I just want this to stop." He howled. "I don't want anymore...." he broke down and whispered "I can't- I can't." His blury eyes went to the painting leaning on the wall. He growled. It was all the fault of that supid thing!


	7. Time for some sad backstory... Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand I am horrible, horrible person.  
> And the story line is becoming a little bit clearer for me.  
> But I have a lot of others ideas (For the Hobbit, For Naruto, ...) and I am writing on those, too. But they are just so many. I don't know where there are coming from... and why now?! Where am I going to get the time to write these?!  
> But I want to thank you all for reading this, even so I am taking my time and the length is not as long as I always want it to be.  
> I love all your comments, even the small ones. And thank you for the kudos. :D <3  
> Next chapter: Somewhere else Tenzou does some research. That clever boy.

Kakashi had to leave the room or he would say something he would regret later.  
He walked outside the castle and through the garden. All in a state of dizziness. He knew that state, because he was in it before.  
When he finaly came out of it, it was to late. He already reached the place he avoided like the plague. He didn't like to think about it. But Iruka reminded him.  
And now he was here. Standing right in front of it.  
His biggest mistake, his sin he would never be able to pardon. The reason why Obito hated him, and had left. A thing Kakashi couldn't blame him for. He wished sometimes, in the dark hours, that he could leave himself, too.  
His eyes were fixed onto the ground, muddy and some leaves. Not able to look at it. But still knowing exactly how it stood there.  
A tombstone in the back of the gardens. Not hidden, not really. But almost everyone forgot that it was here.  
And noone talked about it either. Because the last time, Kakashi broke down. Crying, screaming, begging.  
Not even Gai had been able to help him.  
Now that his mind started to clear, Kakashi noticed that it had been a wonder, that he reacted the way he did to Irukas words.  
Reluctantly his eyes wandered a bit up, to the footing of the stone. Again, he couldn't look at it. He never looked at it. Not even on the day it was placed there. To ashamed, to scared to admit the truth and reality of what had happend. What he had let happen.  
His fault.  
His sin.  
His failure.  
His shadow, that would never leave him. Always there, always reminding him of his failure.  
Kakashi thought he had processed it. That he could finally handle it.  
"Seems like I will never be able to." he murmerd. "Without you, what can I even do right? Nothing."  
He kneeled down on the ground, picking the scatterd leaves up.  
Now he felt the crushing guilt again for not coming here. For not visiting. But it hurt so much to be here.  
And the other tried to keep Kakashi away, since it made him depressive. And he never struggeld much.  
Only Tenzou had never stopped him. But Kakashi wasn't even sure if his friend knew about this. But Tenzou knew stuff he shouldn't know, more often than not.  
No leaf was left to pluck away, so Kakashi went for the weed. Not that there was much of it. One of the gardeners seemed to take care of the grave.  
Not that that made Kakashi feel better. He should be the one to take care of it. Since it existing was his burden. But he didn't.  
Why? Why couldn't he just be more- More like everyone else?  
Why had he not stopped it? Why had he let it happen? Why had he not protected her like he should have? Why was he the one alive and she dead and gone forever? He should have died that day. But he didn't. No. He let her die instead.  
No wonder Obito blamed him. He had all reason to.


	8. Somewhere else Tenzou does some research. That clever boy.

Tenzou stared blankly at the book in front of him. He didn't even know what it was about anymore. His thoughts running in a complete different direction.  
Kakashi was, again, the cause of his worries. Or more like always.  
He had went to the place he avoided like the plague. The grave of Lady Rin. He never knew her, but what he had heard was that she had been a lovely Beta-Woman, who had been killed. And had been friends with Kakashi and someone named Obito. A Son of another Lord, who had left after Rin's Death.  
And in the time were Tenzou knew Kakashi he never went there. At least till yesterday.  
Tenzou worried for his friend. It was not like Kakashi. Not the avoiding everyone. No, that was pretty much like him. No, he hadn't come to annoy Tenzou, while he tried to study, like he did everyday before. That was not like Kakashi.  
So what had made Kakashi fall out of his routine?  
It sounded crazy and very unlikly in his head. But what if the curse of the painting was actually true?  
Sure, Magic was something that you rarely stumbled upon. But not impossible. There was a reason why most people thought of it as a Legend.  
Tenzou closed the book he was reading. It had been about medicine or something else utterly unimportant.  
He needed a book about magic and curses. And he needed informations about that Painting. Who was that princess? Who painted it? How old was it? What about the previous owners?  
Maybe then he could help Kakashi. Even if his idiot of a friend insisted that he was fine!  
Tenzou knew better.  
And what would be better to find new knowledge than in books?

\----------  
Tenzou huffed angrily. They only had a few books on magic. And none of them had been very specific... And he looked into the Book of Royalty, to find the princess. Problem was, without a name or a sigil, it was impossible to find anything helpful. There were not many male omegas in the world. And there were even rarer in Royalty. But there were still enough... Especially since he didn't have a date either.  
Maybe he should have started with talking to the family that had brought that wretched painting.

\---------  
Tenzou knocked on the door and waited.  
The woman and mother of the new (Hofmaler) had opened the door "Can I help you, mylord?"  
"Oh. I am no lord." said Tenzou quick "I liked to ask you a few questions, if that is alright."  
She sighed. "It is about that blasted Painting isn't it?"  
Tenzou grimaced slightly "yes"  
"Well, you better come in then. That will take a while."  
She let Tenzou inside and sat down on the kitchen table, gesturing to Tenzou to join her.  
"I am Kurenai Sarutobi."  
"Tenzou. And thank you. I know it must be hard to talk about this." Tenzou remeberd very clearly, that the painting was the reason for the death of Kurenais husband. So this was going to be conversation he had to lead carefully and with tackt. Good that Kakashi wasn't here.  
"mh." She hummed lightly. "Not entirly. Yes, Prince Kilam did ride out to find the princess and never returned, but King Ebizu didn't blame us. Until-" she stocked "until this blasted man that calls himself a priest blamed Asuma, my husband" she explained "Saying that we encouraged him..." She played with her fingers "even that we were the ones cursing the painting."  
Tenzou nodded. "Do you know why he blamed him? Was there bad blood between the two?"  
Kurenai shoock her head. "Oh no. Asuma had never seen him before. Neither did I. I don't even know his name..."  
Tenzou nodded slowly. "That is awful. I am sorry."  
"But you are here to know more about the princess?"  
"A little bit."  
"I don't know that much. It is a heirloom of the Sarutobi family. Given from Generation to Generation for safe keeping. At least that is what Asuma told me. If you want to know more about the painting and the princess, Grandfather can surely tell you more. But please do not ask Miro." Kurenai folded her hands and her fingers turned white with the presure.  
Tenzou remeberd the young one with the hat in his hands, turning it nervously, that now was the official (Hofmaler). He pictured the whole scenario back then and slowly shook his head. "That is not her name." he mumbled.  
"Excuse me?" Kurenais eyes widend and Tenzou gulped. This would be a long and hard conversation indeed.  
"I- I mean..." he searched for the right words. "Not the first time I've seen a girl trying to pass as a boy. Or being one. Or-"  
"How? How do you know?" whispered Kurenai shoked. "We tried to hide it. And I thought it was perfect..."  
"Oh it is. I just noticed know. Because I had the feeling back then, that something was weird. As I said, she is not the first Girl I saw as a boy. When I was younger I mostly disguised myself in a small dress, passing as a girl. So you see I understand why you are doing this. Not many womans turn out to be an alpha."  
"Mirai didn'r present yet. I am sure she will be-"  
"A Beta? No. She holds herself like she knows what she wants. Sure, she was nervous infront of the king and prince. Who can blame her, the future and surviving of her whole family was one the line. But when she talked about her own painting and the curse, she was confident. Infront of Kakashi. And most Beta try not to go against him, not even for a second. He can be very intimadating."  
"He seemed to me more of a fool." Kurenai grumbled.  
"Very acurate."  
"Huh. So you are the one keeping him alive?"  
"I try."  
"Well. Then let me tell you what I know about that blasted thing, your fool of a prince took."  
And then Tenzou, finaly, got the informations he wanted. Or part of it. Not that they were that pleasant.  
Kurenai had been kitchen maid and aparently Asuma found her entrancing. First she had rejected him, thinking he only wanted her, because of her looks. But he still came to the kitchens and talked with her. Saying, he wanted to get to know and befriend her. So she humored him, while putting him to work with her. And he did, without complaining. That is why she fell for him. They married, and gotten Mirai. And how Asuma had loved his daughter. But then, the Prince found the Painting of the Princess and claimed it as his.  
Asuma warned him, claiming that it only would bring misery. But the Prince didn't listen to the advice her love at given him. And Kurenai had been curious about the painting and asked. The Answer she got was, that is was a heirloom of his family, and that when it wasn't in their hands misery and doom befalled the place, turning the person mad that took it from the Sarutobis. The only other information Kurenai had pulled out of her husband, was that it hold a great meaning to his father, Hiruzen Sarutobi. But why or how, he hadn't tell her. And Hiruzen never spoke to her about the painting. Probably knowing that she cursed it for taking her husband from her.  
Kurenai had to take brakes, telling the story. Remembering her beloved husband, how the met and fell in love.  
She didn't spoke of how Asuma died, and Tenzou didn't push. Being aware that he already put the grieving widow under presure and stress.  
But it helped a little bit. He knew that he had to talk with the Grandfather, Hiruzen Sarutobi, if he wanted to figure out more. And aparently he was with Mirai, painting with her and even teaching her, even when he claims that it is not necessary anymore. But Mirai had insisted.  
So Tenzou thanked Kurenai for her openess and even offered her to meet with her again, if she wished so and then of course to talk about a more happy topic or to just show her around. Trying to make her feel more welcome in this unknown place.


End file.
